The Lyons Press (originally published by Equine Research, Inc.)
Lameness - recognizing and treating the horse's most common ailment
Gifts/Books/Videos
Manufacturer: The Lyons Press (originally published by Equine Research, Inc.)
Model: Lameness - recognizing and treating the horse's most common ailment
Category: Gifts/Books/Videos
Purchase: I began searching several years ago for THE book to enable me to communicate well with trainers, grooms and vets in horse racing. While there are many books on the subject I located this particular book (in paperback) at Borders Books, Dallas, TX area location, and began to read through it on my lunch time whenever I could get away from the office. Since I had Thoroughbreds in racing I soon found from perusing it that I had to buy this book. I used my Borders Rewards coupon for 30% off at that time in early 2006 so I paid less than the list price of $27.95, which for a paperback of 1,022 pages is still well worth it. I have since highlighted, scribbled notes and clipped and flagged so many pages that my book appears to be well-used yet it still holds up. It gave me peace of mind, too (my horses won!)
Likes: First, don't be put off by the title, "Lameness." This book is meant to be a tool to understand the primary reason horses fail to perform up to an owner's or trainer's expectations. Section I defines the term in layman's language, however, you will be exposed to "vetspeak" so that terminology should not scare you off much. You'll understand your vet bills like never before and find ways to control cost by looking at prevention rather than "hoping it never happens." It helps identify worst case scenarios and what you can expect to do under "Prognosis" summaries. In the chapter on Medications you will see positive/negative effects of use of drugs in a straightforward manner.
I like the way this book is organized -- Section II Principles of Therapy; Section III Disease Processes & Their Management; and Section IV Treatment of Specific Conditions (identified by body part, e.g., foot, pastern & fetlock, cannon & splint bones, knee, hock, back, etc.). It won't give you a degree in veterinarian science but it will open your eyes to understanding the makeup of the horse itself -- from the inside out.
Dislikes: The book was published in 1997. The Lyons Press has published the first paperback edition in 2005. It's not really a dislike, however, would like to see an up-to-date section on Physical Therapies. There is no mention of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) using pulses of high pressure sound for tissue repair. Manufacturer names could have been included in this section because it states in the disclaimer that this is done for example purposes although they are not intended as endorsement. Fair enough. I read about them regularly in "Thoroughbred Times," the weekly publication of Thoroughbred racing. However, owners/trainers would benefit in knowing what is available and what the devices do in order to make up their own minds.
Quality: The quality of writing is so consistent. Throughout Section IV, parts of horses's anatomy are discussed under headings -- Definition, Causes, Signs, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prognosis. Numerous pictures and illustrations. It's thorough but not necessarily exhaustive on the subject covered, but you will be well prepared to do further reading or research. I especially like to see the example radiographs for comparative purposes and seek out more on the internet.
Summary: The book works for me in my busy life and I recommend it. It's a big, chunky paperback that is usually in the backseat or in a tote bag when I travel. It serves many purposes. One, a quick reference when something happens especially since it identifies timelines for recovery. In the horseracing industry time is very precious. Two, an overview of Thoroughbred ailments with prognoses of recovery. Three, a resource with an Appendix including skeleton, terms, degrees of lameness, abbreviations, Glossary and Index. Unfortunately, do not find any Spanish language equivalent within Appendix, as this would be very useful.
Rating: 5
Author: Christine King, BVSc, MACVSc, MvetClinStud and Richard Mansmann, VMD, PhD
Date: 0000-00-00
Usefulness Rating: 0 out of 5.
0 reader(s) voted.
Other Reviews You May Find Interesting
Fireflytraders.com Horse Manure Soap Gifts/Books/Videos
Karen N. Hayes (Author) The Perfect Stall Book Gifts/Books/Videos
Fire Horse Tack & Arena Saddle Fitting: The Science & Art Video Gifts/Books/Videos
Larry Trocha Training Video Foundation Training for Turns, Circles & Leads Gifts/Books/Videos
Les Vogt Cowhorse U Gifts/Books/Videos
Cavalia LLC Cavalia DVD Gifts/Books/Videos
AuthorHouse Getting Ready for Mounted Search and Rescue Gifts/Books/Videos
Sara Gruen Flying Changes Gifts/Books/Videos
Sara Gruen Riding Lessons Gifts/Books/Videos
Late for the Sky Horse-opoly Gifts/Books/Videos
Storey Publishing 101 Jumping Exercises for Horse & Rider Gifts/Books/Videos
Workman Publishing Hold Your Horses: Nuggets of truth for people who love horses... no matter what Gifts/Books/Videos
Threshold Picture Guides Number 17: Basic Coursebuilding Gifts/Books/Videos
Primedia Equine Network Build Confidence Over Fences Gifts/Books/Videos
Revmamedia Trail Mania part I with Tim Kimura Gifts/Books/Videos
Brenda Imus Gaits From God 3 DVD Set Gifts/Books/Videos
Equestrian Events of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games Showjumping DVD Gifts/Books/Videos
Chick's Saddlery Horse Silhouette Stakes, Cast Iron Hook Rack Gifts/Books/Videos
Holly Hugo-Vidal with Sue M. Copeland Build Confidence Over Fences Gifts/Books/Videos
Anna J. White-Mullin Judging Hunters and Hunter Seat Equitation Gifts/Books/Videos
